SWIB 15th Annual Conference
Marla Slavet
Issue date: 2/20/07 Section: News
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A record number of registrants, 370 women (and about 5 men), walked into Kimmel on the morning of Friday, February 2, 2007 and knew instantly that this year's Stern Women in Business (SWIB) conference was unique. The purple and white décor from prior years was notably missing and replaced with vibrant orange and pink. The bright red "Grey's Anatomy" mug at each place setting and goody bag on each chair set off a wave of one "Seriously?" after another. The room was packed, the shades were down and everyone knew that this would be a day of inspiration and celebration.
The theme of the conference, "Finding Authenticity: The Next Challenge for Women in Business," means having the confidence to dismiss the idea that women must leave our true personality at home. It means connecting with colleagues on a personal level and establishing lasting relationships. Authentic leaders are not afraid to express their opinions and values and in honor of the 35th anniversary of SWIB and the 15th anniversary of the conference, SWIB wanted to take this idea one step further. In proposing authenticity as the next challenge, the women of SWIB implicitly recognized the achievements of the generations before them. With their accomplishments, women today not only have the luxury of expecting equality in the workplace, but also the ability to be their feminine, unique selves.
The morning keynote speaker, Anne Sweeney, Co-Chair of Disney Media Networks and President of Disney-ABC Television Group, presented a new perspective on what it means to be authentic. After Dean Thomas Cooley's introduction (in which he declared SWIB "the most powerful organization on campus"), Sweeney spoke about her passion for television. She emphasized that throughout her career, it was always the passion that drove her. It was truly amazing to hear how she went from being a page at ABC to running the network. She also spoke about the importance of being authentic at work and consistently illustrated her points with clips from popular ABC shows. Ms. Sweeney didn't show just any ABC television clips; she chose programs such as "Ugly Betty" and "Grey's Anatomy," shows that are successful for the same reason that people are successful - they are original and authentic.
The theme of the conference, "Finding Authenticity: The Next Challenge for Women in Business," means having the confidence to dismiss the idea that women must leave our true personality at home. It means connecting with colleagues on a personal level and establishing lasting relationships. Authentic leaders are not afraid to express their opinions and values and in honor of the 35th anniversary of SWIB and the 15th anniversary of the conference, SWIB wanted to take this idea one step further. In proposing authenticity as the next challenge, the women of SWIB implicitly recognized the achievements of the generations before them. With their accomplishments, women today not only have the luxury of expecting equality in the workplace, but also the ability to be their feminine, unique selves.
The morning keynote speaker, Anne Sweeney, Co-Chair of Disney Media Networks and President of Disney-ABC Television Group, presented a new perspective on what it means to be authentic. After Dean Thomas Cooley's introduction (in which he declared SWIB "the most powerful organization on campus"), Sweeney spoke about her passion for television. She emphasized that throughout her career, it was always the passion that drove her. It was truly amazing to hear how she went from being a page at ABC to running the network. She also spoke about the importance of being authentic at work and consistently illustrated her points with clips from popular ABC shows. Ms. Sweeney didn't show just any ABC television clips; she chose programs such as "Ugly Betty" and "Grey's Anatomy," shows that are successful for the same reason that people are successful - they are original and authentic.
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